City Manager's Weekly Report for the Week Ending October 20, 2017October 21, 2017

Mayor and Members of the City Council:

This is the report for the week ending October 20, 2017.

Meeting Notes

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 24th, beginning with Closed Session at 6:00 PM, followed by the City Council meeting at 6:30 PM. The agenda may be found by clicking this link: Richmond City Council Agenda Packet.

North Bay Fire: Support for the Impacted Communities

Our thoughts – and our hearts – go out to those impacted by the fires in the North Bay. Both the Richmond Fire and Police Departments have deployed units based on the State of California’s mutual aid system to assist in battling these fires.

Richmond residents and employees have inquired about providing assistance to the many families needing temporary shelter from evacuated areas. While City facilities are not currently needed for this purpose, you should know that the City of Richmond Fire Department Office of Emergency Services (OES) is working in concert with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department (OES) and the American Red Cross to stand ready should additional shelter needs arise.

To directly help the fire victims, it is highly recommended that donations be made to the American Red Cross, which assists in providing care and shelter during these types of emergencies. To do so, please access Redcross.org, call 1-800-REDCROSS (733-2767), or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Thank you for your compassion and support for the fire-impacted communities.

Arbor Day at Unity Park Tomorrow, Saturday October 21st

Annually, on the third Saturday of October, the City of Richmond celebrates Arbor Day. This year, the community is celebrating at Unity Park, the City's newest park, designed and built by the community with Friends of the Richmond Greenway. The celebration is Saturday (tomorrow!), October 21st from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM.

Please come lend a hand installing the green infrastructure that will benefit this neighborhood for decades to come, while enjoying music, food, and community.

The 2017 City of Richmond Arbor Day is presented by Groundwork Richmond, Richmond Parks & Landscaping Department, Richmond Trees, and the Urban Forestry Advisory Committee.

Help Richmond Win $150,000 to Revive the Market Marquee!

Our very own Market Square Mall in Downtown Richmond has been selected as a finalist for the 2017 Partners in Preservation: Main Streets program. Richmond Main Street needs your help to win a $150,000 beautification grant to restore the historic building’s marquee which will literally light up Downtown and support local small businesses.

Winners are decided by an online vote, and the top 10 campaigns receive funding. Anyone and everyone can vote 5 times every day through October 31st.

The City would like your input on potential land use changes in Richmond’s Northshore to complement the existing Dotson Family Marsh (Point Pinole Regional Shoreline), including expanding parks, agriculture institutional, and community facilities land uses. Your input will inform a possible General Plan Amendment in this area.

The City Council recently directed City staff to work with the community on formulating a General Plan Amendment for this area, consistent with their policy direction. Currently, General Plan 2030 envisions Change Area 12 as a low-intensity office/light industrial hub. Privately-owned parcels located near the Richmond Parkway are designated as Low Intensity Business/Light Industrial, while publically-owned properties located along the shoreline are designated as Open Space. The City Council policy is that the General Plan Amendment should evaluate the potential of changing the land use designations of Change Area 12 to some combination of Open Space, Parks and Recreation, Agriculture, and Public, Cultural and Institutional. This could remove the Low Intensity Business/Light Industrial designation from the area.

The Northshore Public Workshop will be held on Monday, October 30th from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room (Basement Level), 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond.

In honor of National Food Day (10/24/17), the Richmond Food Policy Council is kicking off a whole week of events and activities spotlighting the local and healthy food movement growing in Richmond.

Food Week seeks to build a stronger food movement, united by a vision of food that is healthy, affordable, culturally relevant, and sustainable. With local coordination provided by the over 5 Richmond-based non-profits, Food Day brings together chefs, political figures, public health officials, schools and universities, food activists, and companies to push for healthier diets and improved food policies.

Richmond 8th Annual Native American Pow-Wow

The Richmond Native American Pow-Wow will be held in November for the first time, in honor of November being National Native American Heritage month. This 8th annual community event is a cultural gathering and is open to all people of different backgrounds.

Please join in the celebration on November 25th from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM at the Richmond Police Activities gymnasium located at 2200 Macdonald Avenue. There will be arts & crafts, food, and vendor booths for all to enjoy.

I have listed below some of the topics for meetings that I attended during the past week in the hope that it provides an idea of the varied issues with which our organization deals routinely.

Meetings and events of note this past week included:

Met, together with Planning and Building Services Director Richard Mitchell and Planning Project Manager Lina Velasco, with staff from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to review the status of the former Zeneca site soil remediation;

Participated in a conference call with staff from the Bay Area Council and other Bay Area cities to discuss submittal of a join proposal for the second Amazon corporate headquarters;

Met, together with Mayor’s staff member Sequoia Erasmus, with a representative from Bike East Bay to discuss their local and regional activities;

Attended the meeting of the Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee;

Met, along with Planning and Building Services Director Richard Mitchell and Successor Agency consultant Alan Wolken, with developers and planners of the Parcel FM site at Marina Bay to discuss design options;

Met with a group of CORO fellows to discuss municipal finance issues, along with Finance Director Belinda Warner;

Attended the monthly Council of Industries lunch;

Attended the Richmond Promise Board meeting;

Participated in my monthly “check-in” meeting with West Contra Costa Unified School Superintendent Matt Duffy; and

Met with representatives from the Safe Return Team to discuss implementation of the Fair Chance to Housing ordinance.

These meetings were in addition to attending the regular management staff meeting, agenda planning, reviewing staff reports to the City Council, doing department head “check-ins,” having discussions on various personnel matters, and having short discussions with staff, community members, members of the press, etc.

Richmond Promise Scholarship Now Open + Upcoming Workshop on October 30th

The FAFSA/Dream Act and Richmond Promise Scholarship applications are now open.

To be eligible for the Richmond Promise Scholarship, a student must:

Be a resident of Richmond or North Richmond (i.e. have a Richmond home address);

Have graduated from an eligible high school within the West Contra Costa Unified School District boundary area or received a GED/high school equivalency between June 2017-2018;

Have attended an eligible high school at least 9th-12th grade consecutively;

Have completed the FAFSA/Dream Act by the March 2nd Cal Grant deadline.

The application can be found on our website: www.richmondpromise.org. Please share this opportunity with eligible students in your life.

The City recently concluded the Summer 2017 California Youth Energy Services (CYES) program, in partnership with Rising Sun Energy Center and the City's Environmental Initiatives Division and Summer Youth Employment program. The CYES program employed nine Richmond young adults as Energy Specialists who served 223 Richmond residences, providing unlimited LED light bulbs, and other no-cost energy-and water-saving devices, including smart power strips, faucet aerators, and efficient-flow showerheads. In addition to green job training, Energy Specialists participate in weekly professional development workshops that include resume workshops and financial literacy training.

The Richmond Energy Specialists exceeded their goals and led all participating CYES cities by installing 3,714 LED lighting fixtures and 211 advanced smart power strips. The total program outcomes will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 47 metric tons and reduce water consumption by 1,212,240 gallons of water each year.

TheCalifornia Youth Energy Services 2017 Summer Report can be accessed online. Registration for Summer 2018 home visits will begin next spring and will be announced in the City Manager's Weekly Report and City of Richmond Environment Initiatives website and listserve.

If you’re not sure which department you need to contact, or, if you don’t receive a call back (which should not happen) from your original call or message, we encourage you to phone the City Manager’s office at (510) 620-6512.

Using the CORConnect Application on the City’s Website:
You can use the CORConnect button on the City’s website (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/) to report a concern, pose a question, or acknowledge the City’s work in some way. These CORConnect issues go directly to the responsible department, and the city manager reviews reported issues on a regular basis to determine if City staff members are responding appropriately. If you do not feel that you have received a satisfactory response, please contact the City Manager’s office at (510) 620-6512.
To access CORConnect select the CORConnect button on the homepage of the City website.
Alternatively you can select the COR Connect button on any other webpage on the left hand side of the page.
On the next screen under Report an Issue select Report Issue/Concern to create a report or Search Issue/Concerns to look up a previously reported issue. You can also look up previously submitted issues to check on the current status if you provided you name, phone number or email when you submitted it.
On the page, you can also look up information on a parcel, see permits issued and look up business license information. If you have a current business license you can pay to renew it online with a credit card.
The recommended browsers are: Microsoft Edge, or Microsoft Internet Explorerversion 11 using the compatibility mode. It can be found in the upper right corner of Internet Explorer: click on the "gear" icon and select Compatibility View Settings, then add the site to the list and click "Close".
The City of Richmond is looking forward to feedback from the community on CORConnect. We welcome your comments at webservices@ci.richmond.ca.usUsing the City of Richmond Mobile Application:
The City of Richmond mobile app provides Richmond’s community members with one-stop access to City services and information via mobile devices. The app allows quick and real-time reporting of neighborhood-related issues; viewing the City’s events calendar; finding addresses and phone numbers of local businesses, city departments and council members. The City of Richmond’s mobile phone app is available on the Apple App store and Google Play store.
We welcome your comments at webservices@ci.richmond.ca.us

Apply for Your U.S. Passport at Richmond City Hall!

The City of Richmond City Clerk’s Office is pleased to announce that it is accepting passport applications on behalf of the United States Department of State. United States citizens planning international travel may apply for their passport at 450 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 300, during the following hours by appointment only:

Please recognize that the area is an operational executive office, and a quiet zone. No drop in service for same day appointments or scheduling future appointments is available at this time; you must call (510) 620-6786 to schedule all appointments.

For application forms, information on documentation required, fees, and a wealth of other passport and international travel information, visit the only official website for passport information – travel.state.gov.

On October 8th, members of Community Presbyterian Church of Danville and Christian Home Missionary Baptist Church came to Richmond as participants for Serve Day. Over 80 tools were loaned from the Richmond Tool Library to help support this effort. Over 100 volunteers came together, donating more than 300 hours of volunteering, to beautify the Richmond Recreation Complex, Richmond Senior Annex, and Parchester Village Community Center.

We truly appreciate all the volunteers’ hard work!

2nd Annual Holiday Food Drive Launched

The Community Services Department (CSD) is collecting canned goods and dry goods for the holiday season starting October 2, 2017 and ending on December 18, 2017 with all donations to benefit Bay Area Rescue Mission.

Since 1965, BARM has been caring for the homeless and needy people in our community--they hope to provide those in need with help for the “whole person,” including services for job skills trainings, parenting classes, counseling, GED preparation, computer-aided learning, and much more.
Food drive barrels will be located at various city facilities in Richmond, as listed below.

Richmond Love Your Block is partnering with Supervisor John Gioia's Office, and Community Housing Development Corporation to host a paint party at Rancho Market and Deli (500 Market Ave) in North Richmond! Join us on Saturday, October 28th at 10:00 AMto show love for a family-owned store that has been serving the community over 20 years.

The market is one of North Richmond’s most prominent buildings, located on the community’s main corridor. Children participating in the Safe Routes to School program frequently stop by during their daily walk from Verde Elementary School to Shields-Reid Community Center.

All ages are welcome, and no prior artistic experience is necessary. Please wear clothes and closed-toed shoes that will not be ruined by paint. Painting supplies, food, refreshments, and water will be available.

For more information, contact Robert Rogers at Supervisor Gioia’s Office at (510) 231-8688.­­

ServiceWorks is Hiring! Apply Now and Please Share Widely!

Are you interested in working in the Bay Area and with young adults from the ages of 16-24? Our program is hiring several positions for ServiceWorks 2.0, which is a college and career program that helps high school students get ready for their future by teaching them leadership skills, networking, and the importance of volunteering.

The application for ServiceWorks as an AmeriCorps VISTA and Fellow is open! We strongly encourage candidates to apply online as early as possible. The last day to apply for priority round consideration is October 20, 2017.

Interested in applying or getting involved with volunteer projects? For additional comments or questions, please contact Vanessa Chau at Vanessa_Chau@ci.richmond.ca.us or at (510) 620-6552.

Information Technology

Website Statistics for the Week Ending 10-20-2017

Tweets and Facebook followers are up from the prior week!

Tweets are up by 11.8%

Tweet impressions are up by 21.8%

Page views are up 6%

Page LIKES are up by 33%

Page followers are up by 63%

KCRT DATANETS OF THE WEEK

Engineering/CIP Departments

Engineering Projects:
The Rifle Range Road project is progressing well in anticipation of the rain. The driving of concrete is in place and pile work continues on schedule.

Rifle Range Road Reconstruction

I-80 Central Ave. Operations Improvement Project (I-80 and Central Avenue)
Mike Brown Electrical (MBE) will continue underground electrical and utilities work at San Joaquin by the end of this week. Ghilotti Bros. anticipates pouring back concrete replacement at sidewalk and ramp at the San Joaquin intersection starting next week.

Streets Division:
Paving crews ground and paved 27th Street from Barrett to Macdonald Avenues and worked from the outstanding pothole list in various locations around the City.

Paving on 27th Street

Street sweeping staff performed residential sweeping services for the third Monday through Friday in the North Richmond, Iron Triangle, North Belding Woods, Atchison Village, South Belding Woods, Santa Fe, Coronado, Marina Bay and Point Richmond neighborhood council areas.

Infrastructure Maintenance and Operations

Abatement:
Abatement crews performed weed abatement at various City locations, removed homeless encampment from Miraflores construction area, abated a private property at Parchester Village, and removed graffiti and tons of illegal dumping throughout the City.

W. Ohio Weed Abatement

Homeless Encampment

Private Property Abatement

Illegal Dumping

Graffiti Abatement

Code Enforcement:
Code Enforcement Officer Souza was contacted regarding vegetation overgrowth and debris at the Grocery Outlet Store along the Key Avenue side. Officer Souza met with the Store Manager and contacted their corporate office; the property has since been cleaned.

Facilities Maintenance:
Carpenters framed and poured the ramp as well as fabricated the rails for the ramp to the new shed at the Recreation Complex.

Painters completed- the painting of the Dispatch Center.

Stationary Engineers replaced recirculation pump in the heating system at the Plunge, repaired machinery leak in the mechanical room at the Plunge and repaired the Ultra Violet (UV) light system at the Richmond Swim Center.

Utility Workers replaced lighting in the Main Library, set up various rooms for events and serviced 29 City-owned facilities.

Lighting Re-Placement in the Main Library

Parks and Landscaping Division:
General crews weed-whipped Humboldt Playlot, performed irrigation repair at Nicholl Park, weeded and trimmed the medians on West Cutting Boulevard, picked up trash on the Richmond Parkway and repaired play equipment at Wendell Park.

Median Cutting

Hilltop District crews continued maintenance around Hilltop Mall business area, continued with irrigation repairs on the Richmond Parkway, removed four encampments, removed debris around the Lakeview Development and continued weed abatement on Richmond Parkway.

Hilltop Lake Maintenance

Marina District crews performed trimming and cleaning at Lucrecia Edwards Park, aerated all turf, mowed and edged turf and continued with cleaning of the median strips on Marina Way.

Cleaning in the Marina

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about these or any other items of interest to you.